The Promised Land:retailing in the UAE - Public London
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The Promised Land:retailing in the UAE
The wholesale
Grand designs like
these don’t tend
to pause for a
transformation temporary blip. Even
when demand for
oil, the lifeblood
of the United Arab of the Gulf, goes
down globally -
Emirates from
and local consumer
spending with it, as
is happening now, or
a cluster of small
when all the signs
are that the retail
market might already
towns and Gulf
be oversupplied.
Some 1.5 million
fishing villages square metres of mall
space is currently
under construction
into a shining, in Dubai alone –
that’s 50% of the
total amount of
buzzing oasis retail property open
today. Just one of
in the desert
the projects in the
pipeline - the Deira
Mall, opening in 2021
has been decades
- will offer almost
half a million square
metres across 1,000
in the making.
units.
With so much space in the region, says
coming through, that as the UAE
landlords will be market grows and
pulling out all the gets more crowded,
stops to get their maintaining a strong,
malls filled. Sweet distinct identity is
deals are always crucially important.
tempting, but with
the combined factors He says:
of the introduction
of VAT at the “The received wisdom
beginning of 2018, in this market is
an extended era of often for brands
low oil prices, the to follow the same
shift in the UAE’s trends,” he says.
demographics, and
the digitisation of “But we’d argue that
retail, quality - not they need to stop
quantity - will be being followers
the key to the next and start leading.
Leem, the brand that Public The brand’s stores and
phase. Retailers should
recently launched in the UAE, graphic identity have been
offer more of an
is part of the burgeoning designed by Public and built
There is plenty of experience and better
global modest fashion sector entirely around the customer,
space in which to services; they need
(see boxout). The brief: to with the future in mind.
grow your business. to be bold and
create beautifully crafted Reflecting the brand - and the
The big question is, innovative, and to
physical spaces that reflect wider sector - the 150-200M²
what about the brand? stand for something.
Leem’s unique identity in stores are comfortable, calm,
And how do you stand
a growing area of women’s tasteful boutiques; oases in
out in such a huge
fashion. With their long, the world of fast fashion
crowd?
slim uncluttered rails and and shiny retail interiors
display tables, elegant that have become ubiquitous
Simon Parkes,
curved glass frontages and in the UAE.
creative director at
partially transparent cocoon-
London-based design
like timber structures, the
and branding agency
six stores now trading in
Public, which has
the UAE and Saudi Arabia are
just completed a
unique spaces in the market.
successful multiple-
store retail launch
Simon makes the The UAE is a promised
point that the land for retailers.
project revealed some The developers
fundamental truths creating millions
about doing business more square metres of
in the UAE and Saudi space will hope it
Arabia, where Leem is remains so. Setting
now trading. up shop is the easy
part; maintaining
He says: quality in the
face of such sheer
“There’s an quantity is how the
opportunity for smart retailers
modest fashion will keep their
brands to be bold businesses, and their
in their brand brands, on top.
direction and really
own the market. Too
many retailers are
trying to do a bit
of everything and
be everywhere. The
key in this sector
is to be specialist:
develop a clear
proposition and
communicate it; focus
on the customer;
establish a strong
brand identity and
maintain it across
all channels of the
business.”
Spotlight on modest fashion Top to bottom
Nike
H&M
ModLi
Leem is one of the newest names in Vogue
a global phenomenon of women’s fashion.
With style-conscious women all over the
world choosing to dress in a way that
reflects their values and personality,
and huge multinational retail brands from
Nike to H&M getting on board, modest fashion
has been one of the big news stories
of 2018.
Public’s work with Leem meant getting into
this mindset. To some, modest fashion might
sound like a synonym for conservative dress.
In reality it’s a way for women to be bold
and radical on their own terms; to move
forward in their own right without simply
adopting the look of the west.
As the UAE and the wider Middle East opens
its doors to the West, fashion brands pour
in with their home-grown looks. Modest
fashion brands like Leem offer women a way
to blend traditional Middle Eastern clothing
with fresh, contemporary styles: to keep
their identity in a changing world.
Leem
Leem
5 quick wins for success in the Gulf
1. Stand for 4. Embrace new
something tech
Have a clear brand identity, differentiate In modern retailing it’s essential to
from your competitors, and don’t just try empower staff to utilise all the most
to fit in. powerful tools at a multichannel retailer’s
disposal. Hand staff these keys and they
will keep the customers happy.
2. Own the
space 5. Engage
In a market as abundant with retailers as
the UAE it’s vital to own everything from
customers
the brand identity, the look of the store, Modern retailing is a two-way process.
the range of clothing and the sector you’re Social media has handed retailers and
in: be bold and innovative and make an e-tailers the most powerful tool of all:
impression. information. Engage your customers, listen
to them, encourage social media interaction
and you will be hugely rewarded.
3. Remember
service is king
No matter how good your product is, how
chic the store is or how well the brand is
positioned, retailing is about service.
Always keep your unique customers in mind
and deliver what they want.
We would like to talk with you further 1st Floor 65 Leonard Street London EC2A 4QS United Kingdom public.london Telephone +44(0)20—3176—9451 For more information please contact simon@public.london
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